Meeting the energy demands of industrialized societies has become progressively more difficult in recent years. Planning based on recognizing the inevitable depletion of traditional energy sources has encountered complications severely limiting the use of certain sources of energy. For example, in concentrated population areas the combustion of fossil fuels with relatively high sulphur contents has been prohibited on the basis of determinations that such fuels severely contaminate the air. As a related consideration, the construction of nuclear facilities has been vigorously opposed not only in the proximity of population centers and watersheds but even in some adjacent wilderness areas. Thus, both traditional and nuclear electrical generating facilities tend to be viewed as threats to the surrounding area that are potentially harmful to the environment.
It has been recognized that perhaps either nuclear generating facilities or fossil fuel-burning facilities for the generation of electrical energy could be located remotely from population areas of energy demand. However, it has long been recognized with regard to hydroelectric facilities that transporting electrical energy from one location to another is expensive both in terms of initial investment and continuing costs. The same problems arises in remotely locating nuclear or fossil fuel-generating facilities. Consequently, in the worldwide distribution of energy, vast quantities of hydrocarbon fuel are variously transported, stored, and refined. Some fuels are marginally economic for certain uses in view of impurities. While hydrocarbons are stored or transported in a liquid form, they pose a continuing threat of contamination. Specifically, oil spills (both on land and sea) have caused considerable environmental damage.
In view of the above considerations, it may be seen that a substantial need exists for an improved process that would enable safer management of energy. Specifically, a need exists for a practical and economic system for storing and transporting energy to accomplish desired distribution. The need is for a system that would allow the safe use of various energy sources and the economic provision of large amounts of energy in concentrated population centers, without substantial pollution or threat to the environment.
In general, the present invention is directed to a process that utilizes aluminum as a working medium, for managing electrical energy to accomodate displacements of time and space. Somewhat more specifically, the process as disclosed herein contemplates the combustion of a metallic electrolytically-produced aluminum to provide heat and aluminum oxide. The heat of such relatively clean combustion is converted into electrical energy. The aluminum oxide from the combustion is transported to a safe reduction site where it is electrolytically reduced again to metallic aluminum by the utilization, for example, of: fossil fuel, a nuclear reactor, or a hydroelectric generator. Note that the reduction site for the aluminum would be selected for safe operation and could be in the proximity of: fossil fuel deposits, a hydroelectric generator, or a nuclear reactor.
In a metallic form, the aluminum is durable, safe, clean, and convenient to transport and store. Also, the combustion of aluminum (particularly in a controlled environment) avoids substantial pollution.